How Much Wine Does it Take to Get to Heaven?
The pundits of writing say, “Write what you know…” I’ve been writing for magazines, newsletters and websites for almost 15 years but haven’t always followed this rule. In 2003, I was bitten by the wine bug and somehow talked my way into a freelance writing gig for On the Vine magazine (once published in the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina). I loved wine then (a lot) but knew little beyond the names of a few varieties and what I liked. (I actually misspelled “vineyard” as “vinyard” in my first submitted article…) I decided then that if I was to have any credibility as a “wine writer,” I had better get educated.
This past November, I earned my Wine Judge Certification from the American Wine Society (www.americanwinesociety.org). As a certified wine judge, I am neither a wine expert nor wine snob. There are thousands of varieties of grapes in the world. Add to that all the fruits (dried, canned and fresh), vegetables (everything from potatoes to onions), honey, flowers, herbs, spices, and all the strange and wonderful combinations of these, and you’ll see there is no way to know everything and the fun is in the learning! Still, I am justifiably proud of the work I’ve done, including more than seven years of independent wine study, tasting and evaluating thousands of wines (did I mention occasionally being forced to drink things that would make excellent floor cleaner???), and passing three very stressful written and blind tasting exams.
Now, I can write what I know and, whenever I get the chance, I judge wine competitions, assessing each entry for “soundness” and quality based on similar wines and flavors I’ve experienced. I have had the honor and extreme pleasure of judging the Amateur and Commercial Wine Competitions of the N.C. State Fair for the past four years. These wonderful events involve tasting and assessing 300 to 600 wines over two days. Can you say, “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven?”
